> I'm not normally one to complain but I saw something today that
> really made my blood boil.
> I was surfing through the busdepot catalogue, and what a fine service
> you all have over there I must say, and I came across something
>  which I am having trouble finding here

> "Hubcap Set of 4, Heavy-Duty Genuine VW, Stock on 80-up
>  Euro Vanagon, fits 71-92, Painted Silver" $US29.95.

> I rang VW in Sydney a couple of months ago to enquire of the price
> for these items (not the chrome ones) and they wanted $AU320.00
> ($US206.00) for a set of painted hubcaps that VW have been pressing
> out since the 70's.

> Now I ask myself. After the price I got on the hubcaps, why did I even
> bother ringing them about the rest. I can only think that they must only
> get an order when someone is doing an insurance job. No wonder our
> premiums are so high

That's probably why I ship so much product overseas.  I continue to be
amazed at the cost of Vanagon parts in some countries!  I once overnighted a
set of bus shocks to a fellow in Australia.  The cost of shipping exceeded
the price of the shocks (as one might expect with overnight shipping of a
heavy item around the world), but even with shipping included, he got the
shocks for slightly less money, and three days faster, than if he had
ordered them from his local supplier. I have also shipped German made VW
parts to customers in Germany!  My price, including what it cost to ship the
German made parts from Germany to me and back to Germany again, was lower
than the local price on the same parts, as incredible as it sounds.

International shipping is not as expensive as you might think, particularly
if the items aren't heavy and you dont need them really fast.  There is also
a new express mail service to about 25 countries that makes fast delivery
cheaper than it used to be.  With the advent of the internet it really is a
global market now, so there's really no need to put up with that kind of
price gouging.

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  http://www.busdepot.com
  (215) 234-VWVW